The present invention relates to an apparatus and method which are used in the casting of a metal article. During withdrawal of a mold for the metal article from a heating chamber of a furnace, a baffle blocks transmission of heat from the heating chamber.
It has been previously been suggested to utilize a baffle to block transmission of heat from a heating chamber of a furnace during withdrawal of a mold from the heating chamber. The use of the baffle minimizes the loss of heat from the heating chamber so that the heating chamber remains at a relatively high temperature and the space below the heating chamber is maintained at a relatively low temperature. This temperature differential promotes solidification of molten metal from a lower end portion of the mold toward an upper end portion of the mold as the mold is withdrawn from the heating chamber.
It has previously been suggested that baffles may be utilized in association with molds to retard the transmission of heat from a heating chamber of a furnace. Various baffle constructions which have previously been suggested are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,108,236; 4,774,992; 4,969,501; and 6,276,432.
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus and method for use in casting a metal article. The apparatus may include a furnace assembly having a heating chamber. A chill plate may be provided to move a mold into and out of the heating chamber. A baffle may be utilized at a lower end portion of the heating chamber to at least partially block heat flow from the heating chamber during withdrawal of the mold from the heating chamber.
The baffle may have an inner section with an opening through which the mold extends when the mold is in the heating chamber. An outer section of the baffle may extend around the inner section of the baffle. A plurality of connectors may extend between the outer and inner sections of the baffle and hold them against movement relative to each other. The connectors may be releasable to enable the inner section of the baffle to move downward relative to an outer section of the baffle to increase the size of an opening through which the mold moves from the heating chamber.
The connectors may extend between the outer and inner sections of the baffle and retain one or more side surfaces on the outer and inner sections of the baffle in a coplanar relationship when the mold is in the heating chamber of the furnace assembly. The connectors may be releasable under the influence of force transmitted from the mold to enable the inner section of the baffle to move downward relative to the outer section of the baffle.
The baffle may be formed as one-piece with the connectors integrally formed as one-piece with the outer and inner sections of the baffle. The connectors may be broken under the influence of force transmitted from the mold to the baffle during lowering of the mold from the heating chamber. If desired, the outer and inner sections of the baffle may be separated by a plurality of slits with the connectors disposed between end portions of the slits and formed of the same material which forms the outer and inner sections of the baffle.
The outer and inner sections of the baffle may be formed as separate pieces. If this is done, the inner section of the baffle may initially be disposed in an opening in the outer section of the baffle and held in its initial position by a plurality of connectors which extend between the outer and inner sections of the baffle. The connectors are releasable to enable the inner section of the baffle to move downward out of the opening in the outer section of the baffle as the mold is moved from the heating chamber of the furnace assembly.
The inner section of the baffle may be disposed above and at least partially supported by the outer section of the baffle. If this is done, the inner section of the baffle may be moved downward through an opening in the outer section of a baffle to increase the size of an opening through which the mold is moved from the heating chamber.
Although the baffle may be connected with a furnace assembly in many different ways, it is believed that it may be desired to utilize latches to connect the baffle with the furnace assembly. The outer section of the baffle may be moved into engagement with and move the latches during movement of the baffle into the heating chamber in the furnace assembly. The latches are effective to retain the outer section of the baffle against downward movement relative to the furnace assembly during movement of the mold out of the heating chamber in the furnace assembly.
The present invention has a plurality of different features which may be used together or separately. One or more of the features of the present invention may be utilized in association with one or more features of the prior art.